Michael Bowie entered training camp as the favorite to win the starting job at right tackle for the Seattle Seahawks.

Bowie started eight games and flashed at times as rookie playing in place of an injured Breno Giacomini. However, Bowie showed up to camp 20 pounds overweight – according to head coach Pete Carroll – and injured his shoulder on the first day of practice. The injury requires surgery that will force Bowie to miss 4-6 months.

The injury led Seattle to sign veteran tackle Eric Winston to compete with second-round pick Justin Britt for the starting job. Bowie was released by Seattle and claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Browns on Saturday.

Now the job is up for grabs with Britt and Winston competing for one of the few truly open positions on Seattle’s roster.

“It’s a big competition going on. There has been since the start of camp,” Carroll said. “It’s unfortunate that we don’t get to keep Michael (Bowie) but we have to keep moving and keep going here.”

Britt has taken nearly every snap with the first-team offensive line since Bowie was injured on the first day of camp. Winston has started 119 consecutive games of the last seven seasons for Houston, Kansas City and Arizona and provides an experienced option as a hedge for Britt.

“This is a very competitive situation with Britt and with Winston in there and I think Alvin Bailey will be mixed into this thing too, eventually,” Carroll said. :It’s a really good spot for us in that we do have depth and we do have competition.”

With middle linebacker Bobby Wagner currently sitting out due to a hamstring strain, undrafted rookie Brock Coyle is listed as the starter at middle linebacker ahead of Seattle’s preseason opener with the Denver Broncos on Thursday.

Coyle has taken the first-team snaps with Wagner sidelined and not expected to play against the Broncos.

We are beefing up the offensive line–our only real shortcoming as the season gets closer. But it’s not a deficit anymore. They still have to prove it, and especially stay injury free, but it seems they have moved from a solid C- to a B-. And they will get better as the season progresses.

The position is wide open, but that still beats last year’s status of “revolving door” and they had an OK season last year. Wilson was playing behind a C-/D+ line for much of last year, including a 7th round pick rookie who started half the season. Britt may be a rookie but he’ll presumably be a better one in there than what they had last year.